WB-IIT KGP

IIT KGP students develop new electric vehicle
    Kolkata, Sep 17 (PTI) In a bid to reduce vehicular
pollution, a team of 50 students from IIT Kharagpur has
developed an electric vehicle.
    The new green vehicle 'DESHLA', designed and built by
the team, is set to pose a strong challenge to the current
generation of three-wheeler autos and high-maintenance
e-rickshaws, said a statement of IIT Kharagpur.
    The team is led by Prof. Vikranth Racherla from
Department of Mechanical Engineering of the institute.
    "Instead of retrofitting an existing vehicle, we
thought we would build one up from scratch, especially because
the design is so important for an electric vehicle. Each
design has been conceived, analysed, prototyped and the cycle
repeated many times before the actual product came out," he
said.
    With its powerful motor, lithium ion battery that can
last up to 6-7 years, high load carrying capacity, sturdy
frame and easy manoeuvrability, the concept prototype had a
successful test-run at the IIT KGP campus.
    Prof. Sriman Kumar Bhattacharyya, Officiating Director
of IIT KGP, said local e-rickshaw drivers who visited during
the test-run are excited with the "vehicle design and the
economics behind it".
    The project was funded by industrialist and
distinguished alumnus of IIT KGP, Dr. Purnendu Chatterjee who
is founder and Chairman of The Chatterjee Group (TCG).
    Prof. Racherla and two other lead researchers Shyama
Agrawal and Manuj Agrawal have already floated a start-up
entity for commercialisation of the vehicle and currently
working on raising funds for industrial production. PTI SUS
BDC BDC

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from a PTI feed.)